Aaliyah returns... for Drake's album

With his album due in less than a month, Drake is putting the finishing touches on Thank Me Later. Growing up, like many others, Drake was a fan of Aaliyah. Long before the days of Ashanti, Beyonce, Keri Hilson, and Ciara, Aaliyah was the focal point of female R&B. Being married to R. Kelly set everything off.

In August of 2001, Drake watched in shock, along with the rest of the hip hop community as Aaliyah died. She had been on an island south of the United States filming the video for "Rock the Boat." In her return, she was warned about the extra luggage on the plane. There was the possibility of the plane crashing.

Because the possibility was so slight, Aaliyah did not worry and she and her team flew back. But, before they could get off of the ground good, the plane crashed. Every person on the plane, with the exception of one person, died. The promising and rising career of Aaliyah was over with one decision.

Out of all of the music stars who have passed and gone on, Aaliyah is the one who receives the least amount of airplay. When she was dead, her family made the decision to allow her to rest in peace. They went ahead and finished the promotion of her album, as planned, though. But, once her music faded away, so did Aaliyah. There have been many other artists who have never died because they still release albums. While they will always be respected, the legacies of these overused artists are being tarnished, in a way. But, things are different with Aaliyah.

No one has heard her voice on anything new since the release of "More Than a Woman," not too much music has come from Aaliyah. Drake is actually the first rapper to ever feature her on new music. Her voice was sampled for his latest single, "Unforgettable," featuring Young Jeezy. Among the many people who have inspired Drake is Aaliyah. He feels featuring her on his track would be a great way to honor her memory and he has the approval of her family.